DIY Plastering

Think About It as Art

Plastering is a neglected art; few people realise the
ease of this type of "art" and the value and importance of this rather easy
task all of us can master.

You might be thinking now that this is one of those
discussions that will provide you with all the information you do not want and
little of what you need. Rest assured, the above statement is not some
controversial opinion.

The water, air, and the timing of the mix are critical
for the success of the whole process. Fortunately, several companies providing the do it yourself enthusiast with
plastering products and equipment, have begun to make different products that
are much easier to use and faster to prepare.
This allows for quicker repairs and enhances the chances for success of
any job.

It is highly likely that you will find on older homes,
particularly those that were built before WWII, will probably have plaster
walls. In fact, a plaster wall is really
three layers of plaster applied over numerous narrow strips of wood called laths.

When you plan on taking on plastering an entire wall
or even several walls, it is advisable that you sharpen up your do it yourself
plastering skills. When it comes to plastering a complete wall, you would
require considerable amount of skill.

However, when it comes to patching plaster work, that
is simple and easy enough so that most of us DIY enthusiasts can do with a
significant level of success.

The purpose of this article is to take you on a step
by step informational ride on the "what to use" and "how to do it the right
way", patching up cracks and holes in plaster.

Plaster repair/Cracks and Holes

As mentioned before, the majority of older homes are
constructed by way of wood framing.
These materials have a natural seasonal reaction to the weather and
different humidity changes. In the
summer when the humidity is high the framing tends to expand because the wood absorbs
moisture out of the atmosphere. In addition,
during the winter months where there is less moisture in the air, it dries out.

The cracks in the ceiling or walls that you see are,
as a matter of fact, stress points. With
the process of expansion and contraction movement takes place and this causes
the cracks in the plaster. As the frame
expands, the plaster needs to expand with which are not always the case and
that is how the crack appears.

Repairing cracks in plaster is not a simple mater of plastering
the crack back over. That just stores up
trouble for the future. When the expansion and contraction takes place, the
crack continues to move and you will constantly need to repair it, as it would
just keep on reappearing. The sensible
way to repair these types of cracks is to cover the crack with some paper tape
in order to put it out of sight and then plaster over the crack.

Fixing plaster cracks

Firstly, you always will need to remove any loose plaster.

Next, prepare some joint compound and mix until it is smooth with
no lumps at all.

Then you will need to tape the crack. Usually, you will need to do this by
using small pieces of tape to make your way around the curve of a crack.

After completing the tape work, you start by applying a 1/8" thick
layer of joint compound over the crack.
Drag your putty knife across the tape to remove about half of the
compound you just applied.

Finding the golden midway here is important. If you remove too
much plaster the tape will make a bubble in the plaster. If you don't remove enough joint
compound, you will end up having a lump on the wall.

Once after the first coat you applied hardens off you can start by
applying another coat. You will
need to repeat this step until you have applied at least 4 coats. When the
fourth coat is hard and dry, you can start to smooth out the plaster.

Patching plaster walls

Some plaster repair secrets from the pros:

Thump
it like a melon- When you repair a plaster wall always remove
the plaster down to its most solid layer before attempting a repair. Sound plaster makes a solid snappy noise when
you thump it. Loose plaster produces a
hollow sound.

Give
it a grip- When you repair a plaster wall with exposed lath,
drive screws into the wood leaving the heads sticking up. This gives the new plaster something to hang
on to.

No
hitting- Hard blows loosen plaster. When repairing it or the underlying lath or
framing use wood screws instead of nails.
To remove damaged plaster pry it or lightly chip it with a cold chisel.

Plaster
repairs buyers guide:

Patching
plaster- Mixed from powder it is used to fill larger holes
and cracks it is applied in several layers of no more than ¼" thick and can be
sanded in 90 minutes.

Plaster
of Paris- Is mixed from powder. It is extremely durable but is difficult to
sand. It will harden in 30 minutes.

Paintable
latex caulk- This fills unstable gaps and crack in wall and
ceilings. It is paintable but not
sandable. Smooth it immediately after
you apply it.

Cracks and broken plaster

Cracks and broken plaster may be signs of bigger
problems, usually a settling house. If
the house continues settling after you patch the wall and the wall cracks again
this is often in the same place. A simple
solution may be to install one or two basement floor jacks underneath the wall
with the recurring crack. Be careful not
to raise them too much.

Brown spots or crumbly plaster usually indicates water
damage from the roof, a leaky window, or a leaky pipe. Find and correct the problem before beginning
to repair the plaster.

When removing plaster you will need to remove all of
the loose material. You may be taking
out more plaster than you intended. If
the hole is larger than 10-12" wide you can fill it with a piece of
drywall.

Conclusion

Now you are ready to complete your DIY plastering
job. If you follow these suggestions, it
is likely that you will meet with success and will be able to enjoy your very own
piece of plastering work. If you have
additional questions be sure to ask the employees and professionals at your
local hardware store. As a rule, they
are equipped with the correct information and product knowledge to put you on
the right track so you can do the plastering yourself and save a lot of money!

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